Devotion September 5, 2025

By: Pastor Dennis

Acts 6:2-4 “2. So the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God to wait on tables. 3. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4. And will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

The rapid growth within the early Church required much more attention to details than the apostles could effectively manage. Caring for the needs of the people such as feeding the poor, helping the crippled and managing the resources needed to do so required specialized help, so they selected seven men to take on those responsibilities allowing the apostles to minister.

What We Should Know

The United Methodist Church is laity driven which is effectively managed by lay committees with specific responsibilities ranging from hospitality to finances allowing the ordained to focus on ministry and winning people to Christ. Ministry overall is a team effort between the laity and the ordained and can only be successful by closely working together. Overall success in ministry is possible only with successful team effort between ministers, committees and small groups.